I've gotten a lot of questions about my custom motion control system I built for stop motion animation, from the LEGO community and beyond. So I decided to put together a video to share what it is and how it came about.
The cat's out of the bag. The "super secret" project we've been working on at BrickNerd Studios is finally in the wild and we can share. You may have seen some behind the scenes teases through the months, but we've kept what we were working on under wraps. Credit for the structure goes to the LEGO enfield model shop. The animation was done by James Morr and turned out spectacular. I did the cinematography, editing and compositing, as well as built all the equipment. Check out the finished spot.
This project required multiple custom built motion control rigs, which kept me busy for weeks. I scratch built an Arduino based motion control unit, a follow focus, giant turntable and dolly track system. The camera rig is a Ditogear slider mounted vertically, with a custom built counterweight system and a Stage-R pan/tilt head. Here's a behind the scenes peek at just a fraction of the work that went into this project.
You know what makes really cool camera moves happen in stop motion animation? Motion control, that's what. I've launched a gofundme campaign to get one of these little beauties at BrickNerd Studios. Click through to help.
This MOC by Grantmasters gives me a happy. It depicts the visual effects crew of Aliens doing a motion control shot of the Sulaco. So it's pretty much my one of my favorite movies, one of my favorite ships and one of my favorite aspects of visual effects built out of my favorite toy. So much WIN!
Today we are joined by Katie Walker who shares the steps of creating a LEGO cheese slope mosaic that almost looks like a stained glass window.
What is a LEGO cheese slope and how can you tessellate them to make patterns that dazzle and amaze? This tutorial will teach you everything you need to know about cheese slope mosaics.
Can LEGO Botanical sets be used as “tree battle packs”? Yes! Here’s how to transform 10373 Mini Bonsai Trees into minifig-scale trees for all your MOC needs.
August is here with a fresh selection of LEGO contests and challenges. Don’t miss your chance to build a MOC and maybe even win some awesome LEGO prizes. With Frogust, Paradisa, and even some stop-motion in the mix, there’s plenty of inspiration to start building!
Sometimes the best LEGO projects solve problems nobody actually has. Follow the design of the Kong-o-Matic 2000, a motorized machine that plays LEGO Donkey Kong so you don’t have to!
Now you can build your own iconic upscaled LEGO tree! Instructions are available right here on BrickNerd and in BrickJournal’s most recent issue.
From color palettes to clever part choices, building LEGO Pokémon at minifig scale takes skill and a sharp eye for detail. We chat with Radioactive Cheese about how he brings his Pokédex to life.
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Today we are joined by Katie Walker who shares the concept of a “Flash MOC” and the evolution of one of her stunning backlit LEGO cheese slope mosaics.